BackgroundChronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a mature B-cell neoplasm characterized by the expansion of CD5-positive lymphocytes in peripheral blood. While CLL is the most common type of leukemia in Western populations, the disease is rare in Africans. Hence, clinical and laboratory data and studies of CLL in Sub Saharan populations have been limited. The aims of this study were to analyze the characteristics of senegalese patients with CLL at the time of the diagnosis and to identify the correlation between clinical characteristics (Binet stage) with age, gender, laboratory parameters and chromosomal abnormalities.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the clinical and laboratory characteristics of CLL in Senegal. A total of 40 patients who had been diagnosed with CLL during the period from July 2011 to April 2015 in Senegal were evaluated. Cytology and immunophenotype were performed in all patients to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis factors such as Binet staging, CD38 and cytogenetic abnormalities were studied. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 13 (Stata college station Texas). Each patient signed a free and informed consent form before participating in the study.ResultsThe mean age was 61 years ranged from 48 to 85. There were 31 males and only 9 females (sex ratio M : F = 3,44). At diagnosic, 82.5 % of the patients were classified as having advanced Binet stages B or C. The prognosis marker CD38 was positive in 28 patients. Cytogenetic abnormalities studied by FISH were performed in 25 patients, among them, 68 % (17 cases) had at least one cytogenetic abnormality and 28 % had 2 simultaneous cytogenetic abnormalities.ConclusionAfricans may present with CLL at a younger age and our data suggest that CLL in Senegal may be more aggressive than in Western populations.

For more than two years after the emergence of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019), significant regional differences in morbidity persist. These differences clearly show lower incidence rates in several regions of the African and Asian continents. The work reported here aimed to test the hypothesis of a pre-pandemic natural immunity acquired by some human populations in central and western Africa, which would, therefore, pose the hypothesis of an original antigenic sin with a virus antigenically close to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To identify such pre-existing immunity, sera samples collected before the emergence of COVID-19 were tested to detect the presence of IgG reacting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 proteins of major significance. Sera samples from French blood donors collected before the pandemic served as a control. The results showed a statistically significant difference of antibodies prevalence between the collected samples in Africa and the control samples collected in France. Given the novelty of our results, our next step consists in highlighting neutralizing antibodies to evaluate their potential for pre-pandemic protective acquired immunity against SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, our results suggest that, in the investigated African sub-regions, the tested populations could have been potentially and partially pre-exposed, before the COVID-19 pandemic, to the antigens of a yet non-identified Coronaviruses.

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Introduction: The resting electrocardiogram is generally called upon in the evaluation of cardio-vascular risk in diabetics. Thus we proposed in this work to evaluate electrocardiographic changes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive observation that took place from 1 January 2014 to 1 October 2014 in the Internal Medicine/Endocrinology Departments of Pikine National Hospital and Cardiology National Hospital of Grand-Yoff. Results: One hundred (100) patients consisted of 43 male and 57 female diabetics. The sex ration male/female ratio was 0.7. The average age was 58.3 years. Men were twice as likely to be active as women. Rhythm disorders were noted in 20% of patients, 13% of whom were women. Right atrial hypertrophy was found in 11% of patients and left hypertrophy in both men and women (25%). Wolf-Parkinson White syndrome was present in 2% of patients. A complete right bundle block was present in 11% of patients. Primary repolarization disorders were noted in 17% of patients and secondary in 18% of patients, postero-diaphragmatic necrosis in 14% of patients, real posterior necrosis in 2% of patients, extensive anterior necrosis in 15% of patients. The QT interval was lengthened in 21% of patients including 14 women. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 33% of patients and right ventricular hypertrophy was found in 10% of patients. The bivariate analysis showed that electrocardiographic abnormalities were more correlated with the association of certain risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidemia, the feminine gender, but also the poor glycemic balance. On the other hand, physical activity and treatment had a protective effect. Conclusion: The ECG is certainly insufficient for an exhaustive exploration of the heart of the diabetic patient, but still very useful in our conditions of exercise to improve the care of our patients.